Farm Talk Radio Educates Farmers in Zambia

Dear Supporter,

We are excited to report that our Prime radios will be used to support a new conservation and farmer livelihood project  with COMACO, this time in the Central Province.  

Located not far from the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kasanka National Park lies in the Serenje District and is one of Zambia's smallest national parks being only 150 sq. miles in size.  It is also one of the first national parks to be managed by a private-public partnership - the privately funded Kasanka Trust Ltd.  This partnership has been operational for more than 30 years and all management responsibilities are in partnership with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife.

The collaboration between COMACO and Kasanka Trust aims to empower local communities by strengthening the links between livelihood and conservation activities. COMACO will be replicating the highly successfuly model which has proved itself time and again over the past 17 years. 

Farmers will register with COMACO and take the COMACO 'pledge' committing to not harm the environment, not to paoch or harm wild animals and not use commerical pesticides. Farmers will work together in cooperatives and will use our Prime radios to listen to Farm Talk radio programs.

Additional Prime radios and even Lifeplayer MP3s will be used to educate farmer groups on the COMACO methodology.  Poaching is a serious problem in the area, and as in the Eastern Province, it is hoped that farmers who poach will be turned into protectors of wildlife - especially elephants.

Please consider helping us give COMACO a kickstart on providing Primes and Lifeplayers to rural and isolated farmer groups. We'll have more to report in our next update!